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Geology - B.S.

The Geology B.S. program program blends rigorous coursework with hands-on experiences to equip you with the skills needed to study the earth's physical structure, natural resources and environmental systems. With access to cutting-edge technologies and experienced faculty, you'll gain the knowledge and skills to launch a rewarding career in the geology field.

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Bachelor's Degree in Geology

The Bachelor of Science in Geology program is designed for those interested in a professional career in geology, or for those students who intend to pursue graduate study in Geology.

To obtain the B.S. degree, the student completes courses concerning minerals, rocks, landforms, fossils, structural geology, geochemistry, and field mapping, among others. These courses are supplemented by courses such as introductory chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics.

Program Information for Geology - B.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Geology is designed for those interested in a professional career in the field. The curriculum focuses on minerals, rocks, landforms, fossils, structural geology, geochemistry and field mapping, among others. Supplemental courses include introductory chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics. Students are also encouraged to specialize in an applied or theoretical area of the science.

The program features a capstone summer field course in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Geology students may apply early to the and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the policy in the University Catalog for more information.

The Geology major includes the following optional concentration:

  • The Environmental Geology optional concentration provides students with specialized training for careers in the well-established and growing field of environmental geology, including water resources, resource management and energy resources. The concentration's curriculum focuses on hydrology, hydrogeology and environmental monitoring techniques.
Admissions for Geology - B.S.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former 麻豆精选students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since 麻豆精选may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Understand and communicate to others on the nature of scientific investigation and evidence.
  2. Understand and communicate to others on the complex interrelationships of the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere through geologic time.
  3. Understand Earth materials and interpret geologic and environmental processes.
  4. Synthesize geologic information to understand and solve geologic and environmental problems.
  5. Demonstrate critical thinking skills.
  6. Develop the skills to work as a geologist in the field and in the laboratory.
Coursework

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
BSCI 10002LIFE ON PLANET EARTH (KBS) 3-4
or BSCI 10110 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB)
CHEM 10060GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4
CHEM 10062GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
ESCI 22000DEGREE AND CAREER PATHS IN EARTH SCIENCES (ELR) 1
ESCI 23063EARTH MATERIALS I 4
ESCI 31070EARTH MATERIALS II (WIC) 14
ESCI 31080STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 4
ESCI 34061PRINCIPLES OF PALEONTOLOGY 4
ESCI 41092SUMMER FIELD CAMP (ELR) 6
ESCI 42035DATA ANALYSIS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES 3
or MATH 30011 BASIC PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
ESCI 44070SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY 4
MATH 12002ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS I (KMCR) 5
PHY 13001GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS) 4
PHY 13021GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB) 1
Earth Electives, choose from the following:4
ESCI 11040
ESCI 11041
HOW THE EARTH WORKS (KBS)
and HOW THE EARTH WORKS LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB)
ESCI 11042
ESCI 11043
EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME (KBS)
and EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB)
Major Elective, choose from the following:3
ESCI 11040
HOW THE EARTH WORKS (KBS)
ESCI 11042
EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME (KBS)
ESCI 21062
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE (KBS)
ESCI 21080
ALL ABOUT THE OCEANS (KBS)
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below)8
6
9
6
General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours)14
Additional Requirements or Concentration
Choose from the following:21
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
Earth Science (ESCI) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 115-16
Science Elective(s), choose from the following: 24-5
CHEM 10061
CHEM 10063
GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS)
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB)
GEOG 49070
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE
PHY 13002
PHY 13022
GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS II (KBS)
and GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY II (KBS) (KLAB)
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
General Elective1
Minimum Total Credit Hours:21
1

The following courses may not count toward the elective requirement: ESCI 41073ESCI 41077 and ESCI 41079.

2

Students who intend to pursue graduate studies in geology are recommended to complete both science lecture and lab courses: CHEM 10061, CHEM 10063, PHY 13002, PHY 13022.

Environmental Geology Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
CHEM 10061GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4
CHEM 10063GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
ESCI 32066GEOMORPHOLOGY 4
ESCI 40380BIOGEOCHEMISTRY 3
or ESCI 43040 PRINCIPLES OF GEOCHEMISTRY
or ESCI 43042 ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
Environmental Geology Concentration Electives, choose from the following:9
ESCI 40380
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
ESCI 42030
REMOTE SENSING
ESCI 42065
WATERSHED HYDROLOGY
ESCI 42066
PHYSICAL HYDROGEOLOGY
ESCI 42068
CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY
ESCI 43040
PRINCIPLES OF GEOCHEMISTRY
ESCI 43042
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
ESCI 43043
ENVIRONMENTAL MINERALOGY
ESCI 43044
ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPES
Minimum Total Credit Hours:21

Graduation Requirements

Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000

Foreign Language College Requirement, B.S.

  • Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 8 credit hours of foreign language.
  • The following programs are exempt from this requirement: The Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology and the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science.2
  • Minimum Elementary I and II of the same language
1

All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the programs offered by 麻豆精选; or (3) demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 8 credit hours and two courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.

2
The Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science exemption exists under another college policy (Three-Plus-One Programs). The Bachelor of Science in Cybercriminology exemption is due to its extensive collaboration with and contribution from the Information Technology program in the College of Applied and Technical Studies, which does not have a foreign language requirement.
Roadmap

Roadmaps

Geology Major (No Concentration)

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Earth Electives 4
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Two
BSCI 10002
or BSCI 10110
LIFE ON PLANET EARTH (KBS)
or BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB)
3-4
Major Elective 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours13
Semester Three
CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4
CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
ESCI 22000 DEGREE AND CAREER PATHS IN EARTH SCIENCES (ELR) 1
ESCI 23063 EARTH MATERIALS I 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Four
ESCI 31070 EARTH MATERIALS II (WIC) 4
ESCI 31080 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 4
PHY 13001 GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS) 4
PHY 13021 GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB) 1
 Credit Hours13
Semester Five
ESCI 34061 PRINCIPLES OF PALEONTOLOGY 4
ESCI 42035
or MATH 30011
DATA ANALYSIS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES
or BASIC PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
3
MATH 12002 ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS I (KMCR) 5
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
Earth Science (ESCI) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
Science Elective(s) 4-5
Kent Core Requirement 3
General Electives 4
 Credit Hours15
Third Summer Term
ESCI 41092 SUMMER FIELD CAMP (ELR) 6
 Credit Hours6
Semester Seven
Earth Science (ESCI) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 6
General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
ESCI 44070 SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY 4
Earth Science (ESCI) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 6
General Elective 2
 Credit Hours12
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Environmental Geology Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Earth Electives 4
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Two
BSCI 10002
or BSCI 10110
LIFE ON PLANET EARTH (KBS)
or BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB)
3-4
Major Elective 3
Foreign Language 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours13
Semester Three
CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4
CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
ESCI 22000 DEGREE AND CAREER PATHS IN EARTH SCIENCES (ELR) 1
ESCI 23063 EARTH MATERIALS I 4
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Four
CHEM 10061 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4
CHEM 10063 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1
ESCI 31070 EARTH MATERIALS II (WIC) 4
MATH 12002 ANALYTIC GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS I (KMCR) 5
 Credit Hours14
Semester Five
ESCI 32066 GEOMORPHOLOGY 4
ESCI 34061 PRINCIPLES OF PALEONTOLOGY 4
ESCI 42035
or MATH 30011
DATA ANALYSIS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES
or BASIC PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours14
Semester Six
ESCI 31080 STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 4
ESCI 40380
or ESCI 43040
or ESCI 43042
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
or PRINCIPLES OF GEOCHEMISTRY
or ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
3
PHY 13001 GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS I (KBS) 4
PHY 13021 GENERAL COLLEGE PHYSICS LABORATORY I (KBS) (KLAB) 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Third Summer Term
ESCI 41092 SUMMER FIELD CAMP (ELR) 6
 Credit Hours6
Semester Seven
Environmental Geology Concentration Electives 6
General Electives 8
 Credit Hours14
Semester Eight
ESCI 44070 SEDIMENTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY 4
Environmental Geology Concentration Elective 3
General Electives 6
 Credit Hours13
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
Program Delivery
  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

About Our Concentration

Environmental Geology

The Bachelor of Science in Geology features an optional Environmental Geology concentration designed to prepare students for impactful careers in the expanding field of environmental geology. This concentration offers specialized training in areas such as water resources, resource management, and energy resources. The curriculum emphasizes key topics including hydrology, hydrogeology, and advanced environmental monitoring techniques.

Advisors in Earth Sciences

Undergraduate Advisors

Field Camp Director

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Geology - B.S.

Graduates of Kent State鈥檚 B.S. Degree in Geology are well-prepared for diverse careers in environmental consulting, natural resource management, and geotechnical industries. The program鈥檚 hands-on approach, which includes fieldwork and laboratory analysis, equips students with a deep understanding of Earth processes and materials. Graduates often pursue roles such as environmental geologists, hydrogeologists, and petroleum geologists, contributing to fields like environmental sustainability, energy exploration, and hazard assessment.

Geological and hydrologic technicians

5.5%

faster than the average

19,000

number of jobs

$50,630

potential earnings

Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

4.9%

about as fast as the average

31,800

number of jobs

$93,580

potential earnings

Hydrologists

5.3%

faster than the average

7,000

number of jobs

$84,040

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.